The learning resource Garden detective is an interactive resource allowing students to learn about small creatures living within an Australian garden. It allows students to investigate habitats as well as the significant parts of each insect. Within this resource there are two learning areas, the first area being the the garden where the creatures are detected, investigated and put back into their own environment. The second learning area is where students find groups of creatures according to the category set, e.g. winged creatures.
Key learning objectives:
* Students recognise that that the environment contains many living and non-living things too small to be seen clearly without magnification.
* Students classify tiny animals from the environment in a number of ways.
* Students recognise that many small living things have similarities and differences to larger living things.
* Students appreciate the diversity of plants and animals
Garden Detective is narrated by Andy the Bug and can also be read on screen for those students that have good literacy skills. Andy gives clear narrated instructions for the activities where a magnifier is used to help in finding the creatures.
The students use the resource searching the garden to find up to 24 creatures. Each creature needs to collected and students are given a detailed description of each creature including the creatures characteristics as well as a thumb tack given as a comparison to the creature's actual size.
The next activity within this resource asks the user to put the creatures into groups/categories and again asks the user to put them back in their habitats.
The learning resource Garden detective is ideal to use in a grade 3/4 classroom as it is easy to use. The introduction page is plain and has simple instructions for those with low literacy skills. This resource would be ideal to use in group or class groups on the interactive whiteboard and I am sure would raise a few laughs as students made errors in putting the creatures back in the wrong habitats (yes I did).
The activities require good memory skills as well as literacy skills but has the narrating feature which is great for those with low literacy skills.I would say that there are many features in this resource, these being; user friendly, easy to follow instructions, bright colourful and fun, engaging, descriptive accurate information on all types of creatures, the informative structure of the resource will enhance the knowledge of the student within a topic such as habitats, is appropriate for the age group.
The negatives about this resource is that there is no way to record students answers and has no scoring although it does tell you if you have the answer incorrect. I would recommend this resource to a grade 3/4 classroom as the graphics are colourful, fun and engaging. Even though the resource has no scoring capabilities I still believe that it has many teaching and learning capabilities therefore I give it 4/5
Resource 1: Garden Detective - Australian garden
* Students recognise that that the environment contains many living and non-living things too small to be seen clearly without magnification.
* Students classify tiny animals from the environment in a number of ways.
* Students recognise that many small living things have similarities and differences to larger living things.
* Students appreciate the diversity of plants and animals
The students use the resource searching the garden to find up to 24 creatures. Each creature needs to collected and students are given a detailed description of each creature including the creatures characteristics as well as a thumb tack given as a comparison to the creature's actual size.
The next activity within this resource asks the user to put the creatures into groups/categories and again asks the user to put them back in their habitats.
The learning resource Garden detective is ideal to use in a grade 3/4 classroom as it is easy to use. The introduction page is plain and has simple instructions for those with low literacy skills.
This resource would be ideal to use in group or class groups on the interactive whiteboard and I am sure would raise a few laughs as students made errors in putting the creatures back in the wrong habitats (yes I did).
The activities require good memory skills as well as literacy skills but has the narrating feature which is great for those with low literacy skills.I would say that there are many features in this resource, these being; user friendly, easy to follow instructions, bright colourful and fun, engaging, descriptive accurate information on all types of creatures, the informative structure of the resource will enhance the knowledge of the student within a topic such as habitats, is appropriate for the age group.
The negatives about this resource is that there is no way to record students answers and has no scoring although it does tell you if you have the answer incorrect.I would recommend this resource to a grade 3/4 classroom as the graphics are colourful, fun and engaging. Even though the resource has no scoring capabilities I still believe that it has many teaching and learning capabilities therefore I give it 4/5
home